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The Loogootee teen who has been charged with murdering a couple in their home in August has pleaded not guilty to those charges.

At an arraignment in Fayette County Circuit Court on Friday afternoon, Clifford W. Baker, through his attorney, Monroe McWard of Taylorville, entered the plea.

The brief arraignment hearing followed a preliminary hearing at which Judge Michael McHaney of Salem ruled that Fayette County State’s Attorney Stephen Friedel had presented sufficient evidence to hold Baker over for trial.

The Vandalia Rotary Club held its annual Christmas Parade on Saturday morning in downtown Vandalia. In the first photo, Santa and Mrs. Claus ride in a horse-drawn carriage. In the second photo, riding in the parade were the three Fayette County queens: Little Miss Marissa Summers, Jr. Miss Jaedyn Worker and Miss Fayette County Amy Pippin. In the third photo, members of the Vandalia Junior High School band perform while marching on Gallatin Street.

Fayette County Health Department has flu vaccine available for all ages, along with Flu Mist for ages 2-18 years old.
According to the health department, "The best way to prevent the flu is with a flu vaccine."
CDC recommends that everyone 6 months of age and older get a seasonal fluvaccine. Vaccination is especially important for people 65 years and older because they are at increased risk for complications from flu.

Evans Public Library in Vandalia has expanded its services with audiobooks, eBooks and music available to download from the library's website.
Library card holders can check out and download digital media anytime, anywhere by visiting www.epl.lib.il.us.
Users may browse the library's website, check out with a valid library card and download to PC, Mac and many mobile devices. Users will need to install free software for audio books, musicc and video: OverDrive Media Console.
To read eBooks, users will need Adobe Digital Editions.

A rural Vandalia home was destroyed by fire last Friday morning.
Vandalia’s volunteer firefighters were called to the Brice Summers residence south of Vandalia, on Hobler Hill off of Carlyle Road, at 8:27 a.m.
When they arrived at 8:30 a.m., firefighters discovered the residence – two mobile homes that were attached – was fully involved in flames.

✔ TOPS IL 2490 will meet from 9:30-10:30 a.m. at First Baptist Church in Ramsey. Weigh-in is from 9-9:30 a.m. For more information, contact Dovie Heaton-Bergin at 283-1729.
✔ TOPS IL 1872, Ramsey, will meet at the Christian Church in Ramsey. Weigh-in is at 6:20 p.m., and the meeting is at 7 p.m. For more information, contact Donna Morell at 423-2916.

Eight-year-old Hannah Bricker visits with Santa and Mrs. Claus in the gazebo at Lincoln Park in Vandalia on Saturday morning, telling the Clauses what she would like to receive for Christmas. The visits followed the Vandalia Rotary Club's annual Christmas Parade.

Two weeks after a number of residents voiced their opposition to the city’s plan to increase three of its tax rates to the maximum levels, the Vandalia City Council rejected a tax levy that included those higher rates.
The council voted 4-4 on the approval of the new tax levy, with aldermen Bret Brosman, Larry Bennett, Larry Cable and Andy Lester voting for the new levy and aldermen Jerry Swarm, Dean Black, Mike Hobler and Lisa McNutt casting dissenting votes.
Mayor Rick Gottman broke the tie by voting not to approve the levy.

After meeting in closed session for about 30 minutes on Monday, the Vandalia City Council approved memorandums of understanding through which city employees agree to take more furlough days.
After that, the council approved a pay increase for a city employee which was an attempt to rectify an apparent violation of the Illinois Open Meetings Act.